


The Glittering Caves

by rain_sleet_snow



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Banter, Blended Movie and Book Canon, Fluff and Humor, Glittering Caves, M/M, Mirkwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 05:24:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17801834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rain_sleet_snow/pseuds/rain_sleet_snow
Summary: Gimli introduces Legolas to the Caves of Aglarond.





	The Glittering Caves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alexcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/gifts).



"So these," Legolas said, "are the Glittering Caves of _ouch_!"

"Mind your head," Gimli said, rather too late, "if you won't stoop to wear a helm."

"I told you," Legolas said, swerving the low-hanging spar of rock that he had struck his head on, "I have never needed one before and I cannot get accustomed to it. You do not wear a helm."

"Only in caves I know well." Gimli set his torch into a bracket, and climbed onto a boulder, the better to examine Legolas's bruised head. "No harm done. I don't know how you didn't lose an eye on the Pelennor Fields, floating around as you do, making yourself a nice big target."

"I am swifter than the arrow's flight," Legolas informed Gimli, and promptly stubbed his toe.

"And completely incapable of looking where you're going. Aye."

"You were the one who insisted on taking custody of the torch."

"Because I want you to see the caves as they should be see. In whole, not just in part." Gimli produced a length of cloth, and advanced on Legolas.

"Oh, no," Legolas said, retreating. "No. You are the one who said I was a danger to myself with my eyes open!"

"Have patience. I will not lead you into a rock." Gimli raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "At least not by accident. Kneel down."

Legolas knelt, and waited as Gimli blindfolded him. "For the love of Elbereth," he said, "don't tell the wood-elves I submitted to this not once but twice. Tauriel would never let me forget it."

"Lady Tauriel understands the dwarven sense of humour much better than you do, you uncultured menace." Gimli secured the knot. 

"At least refrain from sharing it with the Lady Galadriel." Legolas got carefully to his feet, one hand over his head in case of hitherto unnoticed stalactites. "Do you have any idea how mortifying it is to have all your entertaining accidents and misunderstandings told to an ageless queen of your people? Would you like it if I were to tell Durin about the drinking contest in Rohan?"

"Aye, well, Durin's as mortal as the rest of us, and has seen a flagon or two in his time," Gimli said tolerantly, clapping Legolas on the arm in a friendly way. "It's just that he keeps coming back. Not to worry, laddie, I'll not tell anyone about this."

Legolas was torn between expressing gratitude and puzzling out what Gimli had just said about Durin, and did not reply for several moments.

"Except Aragorn," Gimli added cheerfully. 

"Gimli!"

"Wait there, you."

Gimli's footsteps receded, and Legolas heard the torch being lifted from its bracket and taken away. His skin itched. Even if he were to pull off the blindfold and open his eyes, he would now be in perfect darkness, with no light to guide him.

Legolas stiffened his shoulders. He had grown up in the halls of the woodland king, and caves were not strange to him, but elves were not meant to be quite without starlight. There were many secret ways to the surface.

"Come on," Gimli said, reappearing before him and taking him by the hand.

"Can I _please_  have the blindfold off."

"No. Follow me."

Legolas stumbled after Gimli, cursing internally, but he did not hit his feet or his head, and he did not walk into any walls. He came to a stop when Gimli told him to, in the centre of a chamber that seemed to shiver and echo softly, and waited.

"Oh. You can take off the blindfold now."

Legolas pulled the cloth from his eyes, and felt his jaw drop in instinctive wonder.

He was surrounded by a crystal forest. Delicate curtains of stone draped from the ceiling, pillars rose from the floor; flowers and stars of crystal garlanded the rose-pink and soft cream of the rock with a shimmer just dim enough for Legolas to look at it directly. Their torch, and other lights, must be hidden around the chamber at carefully chosen intervals, lending a softened glow to the cave's beauties, otherwise hidden by the perfect night that held sway here without a source of external light.

"A Elbereth  _Gilthoniel,_ " Legolas said, without quite meaning to, and sank to his knees.

"I thought of calling it after a forest of our mutual acquaintance," Gimli said.

"Fangorn?"

"Not quite." Gimli's hand was warm on Legolas's shoulder. "One day, Legolas, I promise you, the Greenwood will shine this brightly again."


End file.
